To view meet photos, visit the photo gallery at the following link: http://photos.suburbanonesports.com/
A listing of all the results – courtesy of Penn Track - is posted on the Girls’ Cross Country home page.
By Alex Frazier
The pressure was on for the Continental Conference girls at the Suburban One League Championships Friday morning at Lehigh University’s Goodman Campus.Central Bucks East, Central Bucks West and North Penn all entered the meet with 6-1 records.
And when the meet ended, just two points separated the three teams.
Central Bucks East’s Katie Kinkead and teammate Jenny Guidera finished four seconds apart to lead the Patriots to the Continental Conference title.
“It was something we wanted to do,” said Kinkead. “Our big goal is to qualify for states. It will carry momentum to the district championships next week.”
East finished with 57 points, followed by Central Bucks West with 58 and North Penn with 59. C.B. South was fourth (104), Pennridge fifth (106), Souderton sixth (187), Quakertown seventh (215) and Hatboro-Horsham eighth (225).
The National and American Conferences weren’t nearly as close. As expected, Pennsbury’s Sara Sargent ran away with the National Conference finishing 14 seconds ahead of Council Rock North’s Lindsay Rheiner. And in the league standings, Pennsbury finished first with 31 points to C.R. North’s 41. Council Rock South finished third (81), William Tennent fourth (123), Abington fifth (163), Bensalem sixth (165) and Neshaminy seventh (181).
Only five teams competed in the American Conference. Norristown and Upper Moreland didn’t have enough runners for a team score. Upper Dublin took the title (30 points) with the Flying Cardinals’ Sarah Holl finishing second to Upper Merion’s Amber McAteer. Plymouth Whitemarsh was a distant second (69), followed by Wissahickon (84), Cheltenham (94) and Upper Merion (117).
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Having lost to Pennridge’s Tori Gerlach in the dual meet, Kinkead knew she would have her work cut out on the windy Lehigh course.
“I knew I had to prepare myself for this race,” she said “I knew it wouldn’t be a walk in the park or anything. I really had to work for this one.”
Midway through the race Kinkead, North Penn’s Meghan McGovern, Guidera and Gerlach were running in the front.
Kinkead started pulling away with just over a mile to go and held the lead with 1,000 meters to go.
Kinkead’s time of 17:55 bested her time of 18:09 last year. Even better, she avenged a loss to McGovern last year when she finished second.
“We race a lot. I’m good friends with her along with Tory Gerlach,” said Kinkaid. “Tory was undefeated in dual meets. The three of us really had a battle. I could have run faster than that but the goal was just winning.”
Besides winning, Kinkead said the best part of the race was that Guidera was right behind her.
Next week the competition will only get tougher. For one, Kinkead will have to compete against defending district and state champion Sara Sargent, who beat her at the Briarwood Invitational.
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It wasn’t hard to spot Sargent at the league meet. She was the runner with the bright pink Saucony running shoes.
She probably never would have worn them in middle school because they would have clashed with her orange singlet.
“I always wanted my shoes to match,” she said.
Now she is more concerned about creating awareness of breast cancer than making a fashion statement.
“There’s a club at my school called the Pink Ribbon Club,” she said. “We raise money and I figured why not support it by wearing these shoes.”
Ironically after she purchased the shoes last year, she was given another identical pair at Nationals.
After winning leagues, districts and states as a freshman, what do you do for an encore?
Sargent’s mother asked her over the summer, “Why did you do so well your freshman year when you’re only making your sophomore year harder for yourself?”
Sargent took another tack.
“Now that I had my freshman year under my belt, it’s a lot easier to look back and not be worried,” she said. “I know what I’m doing much more. I feel like I’ve not only become a better runner but I’m more mature. I feel better than last year. I’m ready for states to come.”
Sargent's winning time of 18:02 wasn’t up to her standards.
“It wasn’t what I wanted,” she said, “but today was all about team. I dealt with it the best way I could. Our goal was to win SOLs.
The Pennsbury sophomore said she didn’t particularly feel any pressure. She just focused on running her best time.
Next week when the competition gets stronger, Sargent should respond.
“I didn’t have anyone pushing me today,” she said. “When districts come, my times will get a lot better. It won’t feel any harder because I’ll have the competition there.”
•••
There was no team title on the line when McAteer stepped to the start. She was in it all for herself.
Like Sargent she defended her title of a year ago, when she won it running her first year of cross country. And like Sargent, she was undefeated coming into the meet.
She and Holl ran pretty much head-to-head for the first half of the race, until she pulled away to win by six seconds in 19:23.
“That was an OK time,” said McAteer. “I didn’t have any strategy. I just wanted to see what the race would bring. I knew what to expect more.”
McAteer is hoping her season ends better this year than last.
“Last year at districts I didn’t feel good and it wasn’t a good race,” she said. “I will run my hardest and see what time it gets me.”
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